ICC judges hold retreat focusing on collegiality and various aspects of judicial proceedings
On 27-28 September 2018, the judges of the International Criminal Court held a judicial retreat at the seat of the Court in The Hague. The retreat provided an opportunity for private exchanges among judges on topics related to the conduct of judicial proceedings and the overall functioning of the judiciary.
Topics discussed included judicial collegiality and ethics, the reparations phase of proceedings, the modalities of victim participation in proceedings and current legal developments.
During the retreat, the ICC President, Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji, emphasised the importance of cultivating a collegial judicial culture: “The judiciary of the ICC and the Court more broadly stand to benefit tremendously from a commitment to an open, respectful, dignified and inclusive approach to institutional decision-making by the judges. That is to say, it is highly desirable to cultivate a cohesive and constructive environment marked by the highest degree of dignity and respect for one another, encouraging judges to share their diverse expertise, experience and professional backgrounds to the benefit of the Court”.
The Ambassador of Costa Rica, H.E. Mr. Sergio Ugalde, the Ambassador of El Salvador, H.E. Mr. Agustin Vazquez Gomez, the Ambassador of Nicaragua and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, H.E. Mr. Carlos Arguello and the Ambassador of Guatemala, H.E. Marthiza Ruiz de Vielman.The Central American Republics CelebratesBy Roy Lie Atjam.
On the occasion of the 197th Anniversary of the Independence of the Central American Republics, the Ambassadors of Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Guatemala hosted a reception in The Hague on14 September 2018.
The Ambassador of Costa Rica, H.E. Mr. Sergio Ugalde, the Ambassador of El Salvador, H.E. Mr. Agustin Vazquez Gomez welcoming the Ambassador of South Africa, H.E. Mr. Bruce Koloane.
H.E. Ambassador Marithza Ruiz de Vielman of the Republic of Guatemala addressed the guests on behalf of the Central American Republics. Although not based in The Hague the Ambassador mentioned the Republic of Honduras. She went on emphasising the fraternity, cohesion and solidarity within the region. Notably the cooperation in tourism.
Solidarity, cooperation, these are key elements capable of propelling the central American countries further to prosperity. A special thanks went to GRULAC. Ambassador Gladys Marithza Ruiz Sanchez in her brief address went on to express the contentment of the Embassies for being in the international city of The Hague.
H.E. Mr. Jens-Otto Horslund, Ambassador of Denmark, H.E. Mr. Agustin Vazquez Gomez, Ambassador of El Salvador, H.E. Mr. Bruce Koloane, Ambassador of South Africa, H.E. Ms. Maria J. Alonso, Ambassador of Spain and H.E. Mr. Jean Pierre Karabaranga, Ambassador of Rwanda.
When asked, an Ambassador from the other side of the globe attending the function, lauded the Central American Republics for the peaceful manner in which they settle disputes and the stability in the region.
The many guests including the Ambassadors from Japan, South Africa, Ecuador, Denmark, Panama, Korea, Philippines, Bulgaria, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Uruguay, etc. all enjoyed the reception and networking opportunity.
Santa and his elves have been busy organizing a festive 2018 AWC Holiday Bazaar! Whether you celebrate Sinterklaas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Christmas – we invite you to join us. Our bazaar is open to the public and a lovely way to kick off the holiday season. Why travel to other Christmas Markets when there is one right in our backyard!The Holiday Bazaar will feature a wide variety of international items and unique, handcrafted gifts galore. We’ll have everything from baked goods to wine and beer, essential oils, paintings, textiles, ceramics and jewelry to name a few! You won’t want to miss this festive event!In addition, there will be children’s activities and the opportunity to take a picture with Santa! The AWC Holiday Bazaar is the perfect family outing; you’ll find a warm, festive atmosphere and that special gift for everyone on your list!WHEN: Saturday, November 10th, 11:00 – 18:00 & Sunday, November 11th, 11:00 – 17:00WHERE: The Hilton Hotel, Zeestraat 35, The HagueADMISSION: €2 (children free)CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES: €5
ICC Prosecutor addresses Informal Ministerial Network for the ICC in the margins of the 73rd session of the UNGA.ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, attends 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly to highlight & advance the work of her Office
From the 24th to the 27th of September, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Mrs Fatou Bensouda, attended the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (“UNGA”) held at the United Nations (‘‘UN’’) Headquarters in New York, to participate in a number of high-level side events and to hold bilateral meetings so as to highlight and advance the work of her Office and mandate under the Rome Statute.
In the margins of the UNGA, the Prosecutor held productive meetings with, amongst others, H.E. Mr Adama Barrow, President of The Gambia; H.E. Mr Mamuka Bakhtadze, Prime Minister of Georgia; H.E. Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of France; H.E. Mr Riad al-Malki, Minister of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs of Palestine; H.E. Mr Sidiki Kaba, Minister of Foreign affairs of Senegal; H.E. Ms Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and H.E. Mr Miguel de Serpa Soares, UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and Legal Counsel. At these meetings, the Prosecutor expressed her appreciation for the support and cooperation received by her Office, while her interlocutors reaffirmed their strong commitment to continue doing so.
On 27 September, the Prosecutor addressed the annual meeting of the Informal Ministerial Network for the ICC, a network of over 30 Ministers of Foreign Affairs representing regional groupings of States Parties.
At the event, convened and chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Liechtenstein, H.E. Ms Aurelia Frick, the Prosecutor briefed the Network on the latest developments, achievements and challenges faced by her Office, underscoring the importance of consistent support and cooperation by States Parties to the success of the Court. She conveyed her gratitude for the public expressions of support for the Court and stressed the need for States Parties, as custodians of the Rome Statute, to continue to provide such critical support.
“We cannot let the ICC be weakened given its importance to the progress of humanity. On the contrary, we need to strengthen it to be able to continuously deliver on the promise of the Rome Statute and apply international criminal justice, independently and objectively,” she stated. The Prosecutor was received with overwhelming support from participating Ministers, for which she expressed her sincere appreciation in her closing remarks. Following the session, members of the Informal Ministerial Network issued a joint press release renewing their commitment to the ICC “as the centrepiece of the international criminal justice system” and a “fundamental part of a rules-based order.”
On 25 September, at a high-level side-event convened by the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, and co-sponsored by Luxembourg, Finland, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, Sierra Leone and Belgium, the Prosecutor delivered a keynote speech on addressing the scourge of sexual and gender-based crimes from her perspective. She re-affirmed her Office’s commitment to continue to apply the Rome Statute, where applicable, striving to systematically investigate and prosecute these serious and traditionally underreported crimes. The Prosecutor called for a collective effort to combat impunity, for the sake of the victims of such heinous crimes.
On 24 September, the Prosecutor participated at a Ministerial-level side-event organised by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of The Netherlands and Niger, respectively, aimed at exploring collective action against human trafficking, through accountability and the rule of law.
She briefed the audience about the efforts of her Office, namely in the context of the Libya Situation, to combat crimes committed against migrants that fall under the Rome Statute. The Prosecutor stressed that a multi-layered, multi-party strategy is required to tackle the complex international, transnational and domestic crimes being committed in Libya, and further elaborated on the collaborative efforts of her Office with various states to combat such crimes.
The Hague, Netherlands —The Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was briefed recently by officials of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs about a cyber operation targeting the OPCW that was disrupted by the Netherlands Defence Intelligence and Security Service.
The Netherlands is the OPCW’s host country and, as such, is in charge of ensuring and exercising due diligence in protecting the OPCW Headquarters.
Since early 2018, the Organisation has observed increased cyber-related activities. The Director-General has informed OPCW Member States about these activities and the OPCW Technical Secretariat has undertaken measures to mitigate them
Prosecutor Brammertz takes part in the conference “Justice after The Hague” in ZagrebThe Hague, 9 October 2018– Prosecutor Serge Brammertz is taking part in a two-day conference in Zagreb entitled “Justice after The Hague”, organised by the Serb National Council, Council of the Serb National Minority for the City of Zagreb, Documenta – Centre for Dealing with the Past and SENSE – Center for Transitional Justice. The conference brought together prosecutors, members of the civil society, victim’s organisations, journalists and scholars.
In today’s panel which gathered prosecutors from the region, Prosecutor Brammertz participated in discussions which touched upon achievements and challenges of prosecution of war crimes, regional cooperation and dealing with the past in the former Yugoslavia.
Prosecutor Brammertz noted the importance of continuing to secure accountability for war crimes on the domestic level, underscoring the importance of regional cooperation in this regard. He highlighted that “[I]n every country in the region, there is a large backlog of war crimes cases, and more justice is still urgently needed.“
Prosecutor Brammertz also added: “Regional judicial cooperation today faces many challenges. But I also believe that […] we can find pragmatic solutions to many of the […] challenges that face us. We just need to remember that the purpose of the law is to achieve justice and punish those responsible for crimes, not to promote impunity.”
Jesus Herrera Raya and Dolores (Lolina) Echeverria Lanz.By Tamara Dijkstra.
The Crowne Plaza hosted the inaugural Mexican Food festival last week.
The festival was organized by the Mexican Embassy in cooperation with Diplomat Magazine and Aeroméxico, concerning the celebration of the 190 years’ diplomatic relations between Mexico and the Netherlands.
During the festival, the variety of dishes was accompanied by Mexican musicians. Tasting the Mexican food at this occasion was not only a culinary experience but also a fascinating social and cultural happening. Dolores (Lolina) Echeverria Lanz and Jesus Herrera Raya two well-known chefs from the region of Campeche in the south of Mexico, prepared several extraordinary dishes for this occasion.
Mexican Flavors, Crowne Plaza, The Hague.
Dolores is an amazing chef and currently a delegate of the Conservatory of Mexican Gastronomic Culture since 2011. The Conservatory of Mexican Gastronomic Culture is an organization, that focuses on the preservation of customs and cultural traditions that characterize the classical Mexican cuisine.
On a regular basis, she gives lectures and workshops about the culinary culture of Campeche and the region of Yucatan Peninsula. In order to preserve traditional recipes of Campeche last year, she published a book, with 253 different recipes from the traditional cuisine of Campeche.
Jesus Herrera Raya is the owner of the most famous, well known traditional restaurant of the ‘Campechana Cuisine’, which is called ‘the House of Campeche’. He dedicated himself to the exceptional cuisine 40 years ago and is considered as one of southeast Mexican most acclaimed chefs.
Campeche in the south of México has recently become part of the UNESCO World Heritage and is one of the most ancient seaports of the Mayan Peninsula.
Mexican chef Dolores (Lolina) Echeverria Lanz, preparing delicious tamales.
In general, the traditional food of the state of Campeche in Mexico is especially acclaimed for the variety of fish, seafood, and quality of the ingredients of the region. Furthermore, due to the hot weather a wide range of vegetables is growing on the lowlands in Campeche.
The state of Campeche has always been inhabited by the Maya peoples and the city of Campeche was founded in the sixteenth century. Besides the arrival of the Spanish conquerors, Campeche also suffered from several pirates’ attacks. One of the many attacks was led by the Dutchman, Laurens de Graaf and as a result of this devastating attack, strong walls were built around the city and eventually the pirate attacks came to an end.
The arrival of foreign visitors did not only influence the daily life of the citizens of Campeche but also the different ingredients from overseas influenced Campeche´s cuisine in an interesting way.
During the opening ceremony in the Crowne Plaza restaurant in The Hague, the two chefs talked about the unique ingredients and special dishes and invited the guests to share their opinions with them.
One of the main course was a dish that is called ´Quesorelleno´, delicious stuffed cheese with marinated meat. Remarkably, the chefs did not use Mexican cheese but prepared the dish with typical Dutch cheese, that is still an important ingredient in the ´Cuisine Campechana´.
Chez Jesus Herrera Raya and Lolita, the Mexican team.
Furthermore, five different main courses and three different kinds of dessert were served. When the chefs explained the guests about the process and the preparation of the different dishes, the visitors valued the hard work of the chefs even more.
To conclude, in order to describe this interesting ambiance in Crown Plaza, the restaurant could be compared to an art gallery, a place in which the objects do not only represent the ingredients by which they are made of, but also tell a story about the different traditions, history and a way of living in the south of Mexico.
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Pictures by the Embassy of Mexico.
ZUCO 103 –Get ready for an evening of wandering in and around the Zuiderstrandtheater, the theatre by the sea.
Meet new friends, hang out with familiar faces, explore fresh music styles, grab a bite, have a drink or two and maybe even try your hand at making some music yourself!
The Wanderlust music experience is a hop-on, hop-off journey that lets you experience pop, classical, jazz and so much more. A magical mystery tour where you can sample not just different types of music but also a wide range of culinary delights. From gin & tonic to Beethoven and beyond, Wanderlust is a cultural adventure of food, drink and above all music.
Residentie Orkest.
Perhaps the North Sea breeze might blow you away. But it’s more likely to be a piece performed by an exciting jazz trio, a sensational pianist or a multi-talented singer-songwriter. Anything is possible.
Wanderlust is a cosmopolitan festival where wanderers of the world come together to chill, chat and mingle, while the best musicians take centre stage.
ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN
Are you the wandering type, always ready to dip into new things? Do you love
great music and unexpected surprises? Then join us beneath the stars in The
Hague for the Wanderlust music experience. Hop on, hop off… then hop on again.
October 12th from 7:30 pm at Zuiderstrandtheater, ScheveningenTickets €50ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN • TIM KLIPHUIS TRIO • ZUCO 103 . SVEN FIGEE • RESIDENTIE ORKEST • JAMES FEDDECK • NINO GVETADZE
“Anja Bihlmaier is amongst the most talented conductors of the younger generation DAS OPER GLASS”
What needs to be done to put together all those countless intangible variables in an orchestra achieve a phenomenal whole? How do you motivate top talent to present themselves at the service of the team? And most importantly, how do you do thatwithout words?
We invite you to an extensive introduction to the German Anja top dirigente Bihlmaier during her Dutch debut with the Hague Philharmonic on November 9 in the South Beach Theater. Anja Bihlmaier studied at the Conservatory of Freiburg. In the 2017-2018 season she debuted include the Volksoper in Vienna with a revival of Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” and conducted the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Tapiola Sinfonietta and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. Until summer 2018 she was chief conductor of the State Theater Kassel.
Program:
17: 30-18: 00 Reception
18: 00-18: 30 Interview and Q & A Anja Bihlmaier
18: 30-19: 45 Networking & Walking dinner
20:00 Concert conducted by America First Anja Bihlmaier
20:50 Break
22:15 End concert with the possibility to chat in the theater cafe.
Registration until October 19 via rsvp @ residentieorkest.nl
